Italian's Lust
by TwiggyDee
Summary: It's Hermione's final year and everything is the same, except for the fact that there is a new addition to her library and that is the steamy, silent, italian , Slytherin by the name of Blaise Zabini who is definitely not there for the books. BZ/HG
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

* * *

Hermione hoisted herself onto the teetering ladder, balancing herself and the box of empty bottles that she had crammed in her arms.

"Let's see," she muttered as her eyes grazed across the top shelf, trying to find some vacant space for the beakers that she was carrying.

"Hermione, do you need some help?"

Hermione turned slightly, and looked down to see who was kind enough to offer her some help. She couldn't help the bright smile that graced her lips upon spotting Forster Lords below her.

Forster was a frequent customer at Slug & Jiggers Apothecary where she had been working for the duration of her sixth year summer.

"No, I'm fine." She assured as she spotted an empty nook in the corner. She quickly angled herself onto her toes and leaned over to slide the box onto the shelf.

"You should move the box a few more inches to the left," Forster assisted when it became quite evident that Hermione had lost sight of the empty space, and was randomly shoving the box onto the shelf with hopes of catching the empty nook.

Hermione took his advice and she successfully managed to pack the empty bottles away without inflicting injuries to Forster or herself.

Satisfied, Hermione stepped down from the rickety ladder, using Forster's shoulder for support.

Once firm on the ground she looked up at the lanky six foot four man, and flashed him a quick smirk.

"Shouldn't someone taller than five foot be handling the packing?" he asked, jokingly.

"Hey! Not all of us are born giants. Some of us are cursed with average human height." Hermione teased as she wiped off the stale dust that accumulated on her hands from handling the old boxes.

This banter between them was a regular happening, so neither of them were surprised when Forster childishly stuck out his tongue as a response to her jab.

"So Lords, what brings you around here?"

Forster raised a finger to indicate that Hermione should give him a minute, and then he shoved his hand down into his pocket and fished around for a bit before pulling out a crumpled receipt.

Hermione grimaced as she gingerly took the parchment that was soaked from Merlin knows what, and proceeded to smoothen it out.

"Yvonne flooed me, and told me that my order was ready," he explained, referring to her boss.

Hermione's brow furrowed as she scanned the receipt, trying to decipher the smudged ink. It was quite tough to understand the scribbles.

"Can you please give me a second?" She requested, going into work mode as she made her way over to the counter to find the store's copy of the order.

Forster flashed her a guilty grin, and followed her to the front of the store.

Luckily, the order was the third one in the pile, so Hermione was able to locate the order number, and get him his potions within minutes.

"So where is Yvonne? Doesn't she work on Thursday with you?" Forster asked innocently as he shelled out the money.

"She was feeling under the weather so she just popped into the tea shop for a warm beverage. She should be back in about five minutes, why?"

"I just needed to place a massive order for St Mungo's," he paused as he cast a critical eye over Hermione, and then he said, "Can you place it for me?"

Forster was a potions researcher for St Mungo's, and chose to personally order and handle all the ingredients he used for his potions. But, this didn't leave us with much free time, so he was constantly in a rush.

Hermione shook her head at Forster's hopeful question, "I'm sorry, only full time employees can place large orders."

"Fine," he sighed dejectedly, "I'll wait."

"Here is your change, Mr. Lords. The order was seventy-two galleons and twenty-four sickles."

Forster collected the remaining coins that were on the table, leaving five galleons as a tip for her.

"Thank you," Hermione said, with a smile, as she slipped the coins into the money pouch that she wore on her hip.

"So, Hermione when do you go back to school?" he conversed as he tapped his foot against the ground in anticipation for Yvonne's return.

"September first, actually. I'll be leaving work in two days because of that," she replied with a grin.

"Ah, yes." Forster muttered, "Hogwarts I believe. Aren't you going to your seventh year?"

"Yes, I'm Head Girl actually." Hermione admitted proudly.

Forster straightened up, forgetting his race against time for a moment, and pulled Hermione's hand to his lips so he could give it a kiss as he yelled, "Congratulations, my dear!"

Hermione giggled softly and admitted, "You're one of the few that knew."

"Well then, I am absolutely honored!"Forster exclaimed, "Though I am not surprised to be honest, you are the first school girl that I've seen working here. So, that must show your potential, doesn't it?"

Hermione blushed at the comment. Yvonne had told her that she had been making an exception by letting her work for the summer, because she usually only had employees who were graduates, but she trusted her to handle the potions with care.

"Well, am I invited to the party?" he teased as he ran a hand through his graying hair, and waggled his brows.

Hermione shook her head, and was about to deny having a party at all when the bell chimed on the door, and a group of students walked in, promptly followed by Yvonne.

"Hello Lords, good to see you." Yvonne called out in a congested tone, sending Forster a quick grin, then she turned to Hermione, "Would you help those kids for me before you finish up your shift and leave?"

Hermione nodded, and made her way, slightly limping, over to where a group of fellow students were huddled around the hangover section.

"How can I be of service to you?" Hermione asked cheerfully once she reached them.

To her shock the five men who greeted her were Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, Adrian Pucey, Marcus Flint, and a lost looking Vincent Crabbe.

"Well, well…if it isn't the savior of the Wizarding World herself!" Draco drawled immediately as he tossed a bottle of hangover potion in the air, "It's about time you serviced me. Someone finally put you in your place?"

His cronies chuckled, and Hermione even saw Pucey doing a thrusting motion with his hips.

Hermione glared at the Slytherins, and snatched the bottle away from Malfoy before he could break it.

"Do you need some help or not?" she rephrased, not liking the sexual connotation that Malfoy took from it.

Despite the fact that she and the men in front of her had fought on the same side during the impromptu war that occurred in her fifth year summer, they still had not come to a mutual friendship as she would have wished for there to be.

Draco smirked and sidled up into her personal space.

"Tsk, tsk Granger," he muttered, "Is that the type of manners you have with your customers? No wonder this store is deserted."

Then he paused dramatically and said, "Or maybe the smell of your blood had them running in the other direction."

Hermione sucked in a breath at his insult, and her retort came quickly.

"Actually," Hermione hissed, "people just left when you walked in. You see, Draco,some people are just not amicable with Death Eaters. You understand, don't you?"

Draco had never taken too kindly to being referred to as a Death Eater especially since he had proven himself innocent during the war, and Hermione wasn't surprised when his cheeks flushed red.

Still, he was not the one to act out rashly to her insult, rather it seemed that her jab hit home with one of his cronies instead. Flint, who still wore the mark on his arm, reacted without thought and he lunged, trying to tackle her. Hermione dodged it with ease and Flint would have gone flying right into the display board for their new sobering potion had Blaise Zabini not grabbed him in time.

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise at the new person's presence since she had not even heard the Italian enter the store, let alone creep up behind her.

Blaise Zabini was another boy from school. To be honest all she knew about him was that he was Slytherin, and an acquaintance of Draco's, and neither of these was shining qualities in her eyes. Feeling extremely outnumbered, and uncertain if Yvonne could even see them through the shelves, Hermione pulled out her wand as a response to the Slytherins yanking theirs out as well.

"Enough," Blaise hissed at the same time, and the four boys froze, causing Hermione's mouth to drop open in shock.

Blaise steadied Flint onto his feet and then he turned to Hermione, who immediately drew her wand to his chest.

She watched as his eyes flickered over her and then quickly back to her face, and he didn't seem fazed by her skilled wand pointed at him.

"Do you work here?" he murmured instead in a husky voice that Hermione had never heard before.

She cautious lowered her wand and raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"Yes, I do. Do you have a problem with that?"

The cocky Italian just smirked and shook his head,

"No, but we do need a case of hang over potions, and another of sobering potions. Can you get that for us?"

Her eyes narrowed at him for a fraction of a second, calculating if this was some ploy to get her to turn her back on them. But, she deduced that Zabini's request was a sincere one so she just nodded in reply.

Then just to irk the group Hermione cast a dramatic sweeping glance at them.

"I need to see some sort of proof that you're seventeen before I can do that."

She held out her hand with a smirk and made a grabbing motion.

"You are well aware that we are seventeen, you pompous bloody idiot." Draco growled looking ready to pounce.

"No," Hermione replied coldly, "No, I am not _aware_of that. In fact, because of your childish tendencies I've always wondered if you are really my age. So…"

Draco started to utter a quick retort but Blaise raised his hand to stop his words.

Then Blaise placed his wand into Hermione's hand, and her fingers automatically glided across the surface to feel the incision that was grooved into every adult's wand.

"Fine," she said slapping his wand back in his hand once she felt it on the wood, "Go up to the counter and pay. I'll get your potions for you."

As she was turning to go Pucey sniggered and yanked two coins out of his pocket.

"Here," Pucey said dropping two galleons in front of her feet, "go treat your weasels to a real meal."

Hermione growled softly at them, not bothering to stoop slow low as to pick them up.

"Thanks." She muttered sarcastically even though she wanted to jab those coins in places that only Pucey's mother had seen.

Everyone, save for Blaise, laughed and walked to the counter. But just as they were about to walk out of her sight, Hermione levitated the galleons up and flicked the money at them. One hit Pucey's shoulder and the other smacked Draco in the back of his head.

"Come back soon!" she called out in a sweet laced tone.

She grinned as she watched Blaise hold back his friends, and then she walk away from them and towards the storage cabinet without a backward glance.

It took about five minutes to get the Slytherins to leave. They were all snarling and grumbling as they shuffled out of the store. Well except for Zabini, he just gave her this _look_ before he left, and she gladly ignored it.

Once she was sure that they were out of the apothecary, Hermione gratefully made her way back to the counter. Surprisingly, Yvonne was leaning against it, staring intently at her. It took no genius to realize that she had seen the whole exchange.

"Ah Hogwarts drama…" Yvonne muttered not at all embarrassed at being caught. "Sorry, but I didn't feel like interrupting your little lover's spat, Hermione."

Hermione grinned at the older woman, knowing that it was obvious that the term 'lovers' could never apply to any of those barbarians.

"I handled it, didn't I?" She replied curtly.

"Very well." Yvonne conceded.

"My shift is up. See you tomorrow okay?" Hermione said as Yvonne handed Hermione her satchel which she automatically pulled over her shoulder.

"One day down, and one more to go before your final pay check!" Yvonne sang as she waved her away.

Hermione laughed in agreement as she stepped out of the store and apparated to her parent's home.

* * *

Hermione's landing wasn't quite as smooth as it usually was. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she landed on _someone_instead of the solid ground that was outside her parent's home.

"Oof" she muttered as her heels wobbled on a surface that was suspiciously similar to firm thighs, and then she promptly fell into Fred Weasley's lap.

"Hello love!" Fred cried, giving Hermione a grand hug, "Thanking for dropping in."

Upon realizing the pun in his words Fred let out a loud guffaw, "Get it? _Dropping_in? Because you fell-"

"I get it Fred!" Hermione muttered as she smacked Fred across the chest which caused his 'companions' to snigger.

It wasn't much of a surprise to see George, Harry, and Charlie sprawled along with Fred outside her house.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked sarcastically as she crawled out of Fred's lap and onto her feet.

"Can't a friend pop in to say hi every once in awhile?" George asked as he tugged her down to drop a kiss on her cheek.

Hermione raised a brow but grinned none the less and accepted the kiss from George, and the ones that followed from Harry and Charlie as well.

During the war she and the twins ended up bonding when they were grouped together to create new spells. The three were well known as the creative brains of many of the war time operations and had become friends during their 'special' projects.

They managed to become really close that 5th year summer of the war. But when the war ended Fred and George went abroad as part of Shacklebolt's reconstruction plan and Hermione didn't see them throughout her 6th year. Yet when they came back four months ago Hermione and the twins were still as close as before.

"Fine, fine come on in." she muttered as she unlocked the door to her suburban childhood home.

The boys ambled in with ease as they stretched themselves out. She didn't bother to ask how long they had been waiting outside for her because she really didn't mind making them wait. Upon entering, they quickly settled in taking up every available space in front of the tellie.

Hermione followed them into the sitting room and perched on the edge of the sofa upon which Fred was sprawled out.

"Aren't you going to get out of those stuffy robes?" Harry asked quickly as he snagged the remote, "They look positively stifling."

"Later." Hermione muttered with a casual wave of her hand. She rolled her eyes when Harry didn't even bother to respond as he was enraptured with the rugby match on the tellie.

"You look about ready to leave this place." Charlie commented as his gaze focused on her trunk which was already packed and waiting in the foyer.

She followed his glance to her trunk and tilted her head as she pondered her answer.

"Not exactly…" she drawled as she went through her mental to-do list, "I still need some help for packing."

Hermione hadn't had the time to pack away the book cases that she had placed around the living room to hold her many books. She would need to pack away her books alongside her collapsible bookshelves before she could officially say that she was done.

Her immediate response was unison of groans. The minute Hermione said that they knew that they were going to be the ones to help her with this and that meant no rugby match.

"The books, boys. I need you to help me with the books."

All four boys looked over at the massive bookshelves and they groaned again.

"You didn't pack this early on when you used to stay at The Burrow." Harry argued.

"I didn't bring so much with me because it was Christmas break and half my stuff was in Hogwarts," she retorted, "But, look all you have to do for me is levitate the books into the bags over there and then dump them in my trunk."

"Nothing else?" George asked with a frown as he cast a hopeful glance at tellie where his favorite player Brian O'Driscoll was on the field with his Irish team.

"That's all." She assured. "Come on guys, think of this as a way to repay me for putting up with you guys when you kept popping in this entire summer."

They grumbled but nonetheless they got up and began doing as she asked.

Hermione shook her head at their antics and waltzed into the kitchen.

"We bagged some leftovers for you." Harry told Hermione as he followed her, dropping a bag of Molly's food onto the counter.

"Thank you!"

Harry smiled and leaned against the counter before asking, "How was work?"

They could hear the Weasley boys muttering levitation charms and it wasn't long before George was yelling and laughing and Charlie was demanding to be set down.

Harry and Hermione both ignored it.

Hermione glanced over her shoulder as she dropped her bag onto the kitchen table, and shrugged her work robes off.

"I'm grateful that tomorrow's my last day." She admitted as she pulled out five butter beers, and balanced them with skill as she tugged out some leftover pizza from her fridge to scarf down.

"I'm glad to hear that."

Harry never understood why she insisted on working during her Christmas breaks and summer ones, but respected her need to keep herself busy if that was what she wanted. Harry yanked one butter beer from her grip and popped it open, not bothering to help Hermione with the rest. He then hoisted himself onto her marble counter, squirming around to get comfortable.

She rolled her eyes but didn't comment on it. She was used to being treated as one of the guys and such lack of courtesy didn't faze her.

"So who's to blame for you guys crashing at my house? Molly or the lovesick fools?"

Harry grinned and patted the counter under him, offering her a seat beside him. "Aw Hermione! Do we need a reason to visit you?" Harry asked as he leaned over to snag a bite of her cold pizza.

Hermione snorted in amusement and stuffed the slice into her mouth before he could finish it off.

Harry jumped off the counter to get a slice for him and another for her, and on the way back he plucked up her mail as well.

"You really do not want to hear about what's going on at The Burrow." Harry admitted.

"Tell me anyway."Hermione said as she took a sip of Harry's beer.

Harry grimaced, and as he padded through Hermione's mail he also told her about the catastrophe over at The Burrow,

"The couples-" he started, referring to Ginny and Neville, and Ron and Parvati, "-have decided that getting it on in the bedroom is overrated, and thus they decided to give us the pleasure of having a special peep show in every general room in the Burrow."

"Oh Merlin!"

"Exactly, so after seeing Ron slobbering all over Parvati's face -well you've seen Ron kiss someone, right? He learned his technique from a bull dog or something. So much spit and-"

"I get it." Hermione muttered curtly, casting a dark glare in the boy-who-lived-twice's direction.

Harry smirked, as much as he loved Ron, his love life had been the butt of Harry's jokes for a long time.

"But, I didn't even tell you what I saw Neville doing to Ginny-"

"You're right! I don't want to know about The Burrow."Hermione interrupted.

Harry chose to stuff his pizza down his throat at this point so Hermione picked up the conversation.

"I still don't understand why you don't crash at Grimmauld Place or at the twin's apartment." Hermione grumbled as she hopped off the counter to take a peek at Molly's leftover's, wincing when shots of pain tingled up her weak leg that had be damaged in the war. "Why always my place?"

Harry didn't dignify that question with an answer. It was true that they could always go to the joke shop or his house but they never did, because Hermione's place was the best out of them all. Sure it was smaller and extremely muggle, but they loved it here so they always came.

"So did you tell anyone else about your Head Girl thing?" he asked.

Hermione whirled around, and shushed Harry before peeking cautiously into the living room to make sure no one heard.

"Yes, a customer at work today. And, can you please speak more quietly? Do you want Fred to hear and tell Molly, who will try to get me to come to the Burrow for dinner?" she growled.

"No...I was just asking!" Harry exclaimed. "You're so dramatic Hermione."

"Dramatic, paranoid. To-may-to, To-mah-to." Hermione sang as she peeked into the room again.

As she did so, Charlie caught her eye and he yelled,

"We're done!"

Harry chuckled when Hermione physically jumped at the sound of his voice and quickly dragged her into a hug, dropping a kiss on her hair.

"You're so adorable sometimes." He admitted as he took out the butterbeers for the Weasleys.

"Shove it." was Hermione's sincere reply.

* * *

Hermione hugged her parents one last time, assuring them that she would reach King Cross Station safely. Her parents usually dropped her to the train station but work wasn't permitting them to do so this year, and thus Hermione would use magical means to get there.

Making sure that no one ,except for her sobbing parents ,was watching Hermione raised her wand and summoned the Knight Bus. It was mere seconds before the huge purple bus careened onto her street bouncing over a Hummer and coming to stop in front of her.

Hermione stepped into the Knight Bus which was extremely full because it was September 1st.

"Bye mum, dad!" she called out as the dangerous monstrosity's engine sprang to life again.

She stood there long enough to smile at her waving parents before turning around and quickly made her way in, her head bowed down so as to avoid any stares that were sure to come.

" Hullo Mione!" Stan, the conductor, exclaimed, "Where to?"

"King Cross Station," she muttered as gave him a warm hug. "How are you doing Stan?"

"Good." He said enthusiastically as he stretched onto his toes to catch sight of a seat for her.

"It's pretty full isn't it?" she commented as she looked over the sea of heads that were present there.

"No problem, you can sit up front in the conductor's seat."

Stan grinned and started to lead her to his seat which was unfortunately towards the front of the bus. So, by the time she managed to sit the entire bus was whispering about her presence.

Hermione had become quite the IT-girl after the war two years ago. She, like Harry, had never quite gotten used to the fame, and she took to ignoring her 'fans' at any means possible.

"Back to school then?" Stan asked, his face contorting into a frown as he noted the stares that Hermione was getting as well.

Hermione consciously titled her head so her hair would mask her face from everyone's view. People were always intrigued by the scars that were littered across it. The ones that she was too proud to mask with a spell.

Hermione looked up at him and waited as the bus squashed between two building before she answered,

"Yes, it's my final year."

Stan grimaced as he let go of the railing to scratch the back of his neck.

"I haven't seen you in while, Hermione."

Hermione blushed and looked down away from his gaze. During her 6th year Christmas break Hermione used to use the bus everyday to get to and from her house to the bookshop where she had worked that Christmas. Those constant trips had led to a sweet friendship between her and Stan, especially since the trip took a good half an hour every day.

But, when she learned how to apparate she stopped using the Knight Bus, and unfortunately only conversed with Stan through the limited letters that they exchanged.

"I am sorry about that. My job took up a lot of my time." Hermione pleaded.

The bus stopped again and Stan went to greet the passengers while Hermione waited.

When he came back his reply was curt, "I know, but it would be nice to see you around sometimes."

Stan's words were sad, but the soft smile on his face showed Hermione that he wasn't that upset.

"At least we write to each other." Hermione supplied with a responding grin.

Stan was about to reply when a group of people ventured to the front of the bus, their faces green from the effort.

"Hey!" Stan yelled, well aware that they were approaching to bother Hermione, "Stick to yer own seats, mate."

"But! I wan-" he was cut off by another passenger,

"You're my idol!" the other yelled to Hermione as Stan stood to shoo them off.

"There's nothing to see here. Bugger off!" he announced.

After a few seconds of sulking and rapid flashes from various cameras the group was off, and now everyone on the bus was well aware that they had royalty riding with them.

"You were saying?" Stan asked as the bus driver, Ernie, sniggered with his Jamaican head that hung on the rear view mirror.

Hermione tuned out the whispers and desperately tried to recall what they had been speaking about.

"Oh right!" she remembered, "We were speaking about the letters. Which reminds me, you, by the way, are rubbish at replying to letters." Hermione brought up, causing Stan to smile again. "You better reply to all my letters while I'm in Hogwarts, you hear?"

"It's a pity that you're going off again," he admitted in a slightly higher pitch, "I got used to seeing your on the bus every once in awhile. I'm going to miss the beautiful scenery."

Hermione melted when she heard his words and began to stand to give him a hug.

At that point the bobbing head on the bus's mirror decided to make its presence known.

"Whatcha saying, man!" the head sang, "Ma sexy face ain't good enouf for ya now, man?"

Hermione laughed at the head, her dimples flashing prettily.

Then Ernie Prang, the driver, cackled as he swerved around a little old lady on the street.

Used to his antics, Hermione just grabbed on and rode it through. People on the rest of the bus weren't as used to it, and thus retching sounds and screams could be heard from behind.

"King's Cross!" Ernie announced coming to a nasty stop in front of the station.

Stan gave her a forced smile, and went to retrieve her bags for her as she waited for the rush of the crowd to leave the bus, grateful that none of them were willing to stay on the bus for even an extra second, and thus did not come up to meet her.

Once Stan had arrived back with her bags she quickly bid farewell to Ernie, and stepped out of the bus.

"I'll see you soon." Hermione told Stan as she gave him a hug.

"Sure, Sure." Stan replied and then stepped back onto the bus, before the bus shot away, Hermione heard the head say,

"Take a picture, man. Dem be sticking around longer than she."

She shook her head and started to drag her trunk towards the entrance of the train station eager to get onto the train and off to her final year of school. But, luck wasn't on her side because just as she was about to run through the wall separating platform nine and ten she heard a high pitched scream that sounded distinctly like her name and then she was tackled to the floor.

"Gerroff me!" Hermione tried to yell through the fabric that was muffling her mouth.

"Oh Merlin! It's really you…."

"HEY! Get off!"

"….Oh gosh. Oh gosh. Oh GOSH! It's…"

"Can you hear me?"

"…HERMIONE GRANGER! I am honored. …."

Hermione's nose wrinkled as she stared at the bouncy girl on her.

"Hey…" she called out trying to get her attention.

" …Bloody Hell, I'm flabbergasted."

The fan's friends were slowly crowding around her and Hermione was quickly feeling claustrophobic, and she couldn't reach her wand because the fan's knees were pinning her arms down. They were also demanding autographs and retelling the story of the war which was shocking due to the fact that they were surrounded by muggles.

"Can you get off of me, please?" Hermione asked, already sounding exasperated.

"….and look at all your scars! I thought they were fake but look!"

The girl tried to trace her finger down the paper thin scar that cut through her eyebrow and grazed past her left eye, but before she could touch Hermione the girl was lifted off of Hermione's chest and tossed aside.

She heard someone berating the crowd and Hermione knew that she too should get up but she was still trying to breath normally again. Suddenly, she was hoisted right onto her feet by none other than the guy from the apothecary - Blaise Zabini.

Looking around, she saw that the crowd had dispersed and she let out a sigh of relief.

"I hate when that happens." She muttered as she leaned over to grab the handle of her trunk, but he was quicker than her and he managed to lean over, grab the bag and push it into her grip before she could even blink.

Hermione looked up at the Slytherin in confusion, but all he did was send a quick aloof nod in her direction, and then proceeded to walk through the barrier without a backward glance.

Hermione followed after him, but once she came out on the other side of the barrier he was already gone.

She had been planning to hunt him down to give him a formal thank you when she felt thick arms tug her into a hug.

"Hermione!"

She swung around and reciprocated the bear hug from Harry.

"Harry! How are you?" she exclaimed as she pulled back to be able to see his face.

" How does it feel to be back, Miss Head Girl?"

Hermione smiled softly, "It feels bloody good."

And, as Harry lured her into an easy conversation she completely forgot about the mysterious Blaise Zabini.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Hermione patiently stood outside of the Gryffindor common room, waiting for Harry and Ron to come out so they could walk to the breakfast. It was a funny feeling to be waiting outside instead of living there as she had for the last six years. She missed the cheery atmosphere of the common room, but she would not trade it for the private dorms that she had because of being Head Girl.

Her new dorm was magnificently decorated, and free of all distractions that came in the form of Lavender and Parvati. She had the best sleep of her entire Hogwarts duration last night because of their absence.

"Hermione!"

Hermione pushed herself off the wall to see Harry stumbling out of the portrait along with Ron who was clutching his girlfriend, Parvati.

"Morning, Harry, Ron…" she trailed off because Ron had let go of Parvati and tugged Hermione into a bear hug. When she untangled herself from the embrace she saw Parvati give her a one over before sending her an icy glare.

"We missed you last night up in the girl's dorms." Parvati muttered in a frigid, fake tone. "It's not the same without you and your . . . _books._"

"_Books, really?",_She thought to herself, but with a grimace she replied.

"I felt the same way."

Harry chuckled at their uncomfortable greeting and quickly wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist, tugging her away from Ron and Parvati.

"Catch up with us after Lavender comes out, okay?" Harry called over his shoulder as he raced away from them.

"Me and my BOOKS?" Hermione hissed once they were out of hearing range. "I've known her for six years now, and all she can associate me with is books?"

"Hermione, you know how she is!" Harry tried to console her but his tone was too amused for her liking.

"Shut up." She grumbled as she smacked Harry's arm away from where it was still resting on her waist.

"But seriously, I missed you last night." Harry admitted.

Hermione turned and smiled up at her best friend who sent a sincere smile back. They continued their trek to the Great Hall with conversations about Hermione's new dorms, and once they entered both of them made a beeline towards their House table.

"So, how is Terry Boot holding up?"

Hermione settled herself into her seat before answering,

"I'm pretty glad with him being Head Boy, Harry. We're friends and he's just as serious about this position as I am. In fact, we are already splitting our duties."

Last night Hermione had found out that Terry Boot, a close friend from Ravenclaw, had been named Head Boy. Everyone seemed really happy with the pair of them. Hermione was a war hero and Boot was famous because he was the Quidditch captain for Ravenclaw.

Hermione was just grateful that it wasn't Malfoy, who had looked furious last night when he saw who took "his" position. She couldn't imagine working with him.

Harry sent her a weird look, "You do realize that school hasn't even officially started yet, don't you?"

Hermione sniffed, "You can never be too prepared, Harry."

Harry mumbled something that sounded like, "Poor Boot" and Hermione was about ask him kick him when Ron plopped down into his seat, saving Harry.

"What were you to nattering on about?", he asked with a grin as Parvati and Lavender sat down and started their own conversation.

"My new dorm, among other things. By the way, you two are going to come up to see it after classes' right?"

Ron snorted, "Course we will! I'm still pretty shocked that they didn't tell you that you got the position until the train ride. That was bloody weird wasn't it?"

Hermione and Harry both cast guilty glances at one another. To ensure that Molly wouldn't force Hermione to endure a dinner at The Burrow Hermione never told Ron about her achievement, rather she lured him into thinking that she was unaware of it until the ride.

Neither of them responded to the 'weird' situation, and both of them were relieved when the arrival of their schedules distracted Ron. Professor Farfel, the new Head of Gryffindor swooped in and placed hers on her empty plate, and with a shoulder pat he went away. Hermione cast a quick glance at Harry and Ron who were already bent over their schedules trying to find their similar classes.

Hermione looked at hers quickly, pleased with the fact that all her classes were advanced ones.

"Pass us yours, Hermione."

Her schedule was snatched away from her by the grabby hands of her red-haired friend. He quickly placed it next to his to compare them.

"What the bloody hell, Hermione!" Ron and Harry yelled in sync.

This was when all hell broke loose. Ron and Harry both quickly deduced that her schedule was all academic and it dawned on them that because she had taken all advanced classes, and they had barely taken three that they wouldn't have any classes with her. This meant that they couldn't copy her homework!

It was no surprise to Hermione that she shared only three classes with Harry and one with Ron this year. Harry and Ron had the easiest schedules for their seventh year because both already had their futures set at the Auror Academy or doing professional Quidditch. Their grades wouldn't matter at all.

Hermione, on the other hand, had not taken her similar offers to heart, and decided to keep her schedule the way it had been for the last seven years.

"Hermione why would you take all these…preposterous…classes? Are you mad?" Harry demanded as Ron nodded his head in agreement.

"Don't be daft." Hermione muttered, "What made you think I would take basic classes?"

Ron spluttered and ended up spits little chunks of scrambled egg at his indignant girlfriend, "Why would you when you do not need to? You're such a machostic!"

"I believe the word is 'masochist', Weasley." Terry Boot corrected as he stood by Hermione with a large grin on his face that was directed her way.

Terry dropped a quick kiss on the top of Hermione's head as he gave her a casual one arm hug.

"Who's a masochist anyway?" he asked Ron, then directed another question at Hermione, "And, did you get your schedule?"

Boot seemed oblivious to the outraged glares that he was receiving from her best friends who were miffed at being interrupted.

"Umm, yeah…I did." Hermione replied, accioing her schedule from Ron's clammy grip.

Ron protested and tried to grab it back, but Hermione quickly slapped his hand away causing Terry to chuckle in amusement.

Terry peered at it and then his lips curved into a smile.

"We both have Advanced Charms, can I walk you there?"

"We were having a conversat-" Harry started to say before Hermione cut him off.

"Sure, I'm done with breakfast anyway."

Hermione was surprised at his offer to walk her to her next class, but she was never one to bite the hand that fed her, so she quickly jumped at the chance to avoid the screams that Ron was about to spew and with a meek goodbye to her boys, she raced off with Terry.

Ron and Harry just sat there pouting at her retreating figure.

"I don't like him," Ron grumbled

* * *

Hermione and Terry were both in Charm's class working on their first day assignment which Professor Flitwick had given to them.

Terry was still working on it, but Hermione had finished it about ten minutes ago, and was now stuck with nothing to do. Her eyes darted to the clock that hung on the wall and saw that they had five minutes left of the hour and a half class. Then she could go to her favorite class in the world, Ancient Runes.

"Argh!" Terry suddenly bellowed in aggravation, causing several students to turn to look in their direction, and then they didn't bother to stop staring. Hermione and Terry had been getting those looks of awe since he came to her house table this morning to escort her to Charms.

To be honest, both of them looked like quite a pair with their clean looks, and the gleaming Head Badges pinned to their chests, and McGonagall probably knew this if that smirk on her face last night was anything to go by. Ignoring the blatant stares, Terry gripped Hermione's hand to catch her attention which had been focused on a groove in the table. She wasn't comfortable with the stares at all, and was starting to know how Harry felt his entire life.

"Yes?" Hermione said, focusing her attention on the frustrated Ravenclaw.

"How did you get the last answer?" Terry Boot murmured as he stared intently at Hermione's intricate notes.

"Which one was that?" Hermione muttered as she skimmed her notes as well.

"The one for mastering the Coltrimous spell." He expanded.

The Coltrimous spell was an extremely ancient spell that had been 'dumbed' down through the years till it became the Accio spell. The reason that it was so complicated was because the spell allowed the person to create a literal bond with an object and the result was that controlling it would be like controlling how you blink – effortless.

"It took quite a bit of my time to understand that one." She admitted as read over Terry's notes to see where he went wrong. "You have to literally throw the Accio spell out of your mind and look at this as a completely original spell."

Terry's brow furrowed as he tried to grasp what Hermione was trying to explain to him.

"Here," Hermione pointed out finally, her finger jabbing at something in his notes, "You got the wand movement written wrong. This one is for the Accio, the swish for Coltrimous is more subtle and doesn't involve this jab..."

Hermione trailed off as Terry's face lit up in understanding.

"You're bloody brilliant Mione!" he exclaimed as he adjusted his notes before standing up to take his and hers to Flitwick.

The loud bell echoed throughout the dungeon just as Terry returned to his seat. They both gathered their things and made their way to the door, shoulders bumping and bags jostling.

"I have a free period now." He commented as they stepped out of the room. "So I'll get started on the rounds charts if that's okay?"

"It's great!" Hermione exclaimed.

Last night, both Terry and Hermione had sat down and discussed the how they would split their duties to accommodate Hermione's tutoring, and Terry's Quidditch.

"Well," she paused in front of her classroom causing Terry to come to a quick halt, effectively brushing against Hermione, "Thanks for walking me to my class."

Terry smiled softly,

"What kind of Head Boy would I be if I didn't?" he teased.

Hermione grinned up at Terry and was about to bid him farewell when someone rammed in between them causing both Hermione and Terry to step back quickly to avoid being trampled on.

"Bloody Hell! Watch where you're going mate!" Terry bellowed as the nimble boy slipped into the class without being seen by either Head.

"Who was he?" Terry asked as he poked his head into the class ready to drag the boy back out and pounce on him.

"Let it be, Terry. He was just eager to get to class…"

Hermione's sentence was interrupted by the final bell for class.

"…and now I have to go too, bye Terry."

She flashed him a quick smile and shuffled into class leaving an irate Boot behind her. Once she entered she paused to stare that the big room that was littered with only 9 or 10 students, including herself.

"Miss Granger, don't loiter in the door way. You'll bring in a draft."

Hermione smiled up at Professor Farfel who had replaced Professor Vector last year and was now her Head of House. He quickly beckoned her over and handed her what seemed to be a test.

"An exam, sir?" she asked as her eyes flew across the parchment.

"Aptitude test," he corrected, "We're going to do things a bit differently this year."

Her brow furrowed, but Hermione said nothing, quickly making her way over to one of the many available seats in the class, waving to her acquaintances who were starting their tests as well.

The Ancient Runes test was excruciatingly tough. The equations were so complicated to solve that Hermione suspected that they were fakes to begin with. The hour that they had been allotted seemed to fly by so fast that at the end of it when Professor Farfel summoned the tests to him even Hermione cried out in objection with the rest of her classmates.

"Calm down, Calm down." Farfel called out to silence their angered arguments as he stacked the exams on his smooth table. "This test is not graded, my over-achieving children."

Hermione felt the air escape from her lungs in a _whoosh_, and relief swamped her body.

"Then what was the point of it, sir?" Hannah Abbot asked from three seats away from Hermione.

"That is your class work for the remaining half an hour, 'What was the point of Professor Farfel's brilliant exam?' "

Everyone smiled as Farfel slipped into his seat and picked up the 'Ancient Runes Daily' effectively zoning them out. That had been his way of giving them the rest of the period to play around.

Hermione glanced around the room again, cataloging the students that were in it.

This class was Ravenclaw dominated; they had clustered themselves in the front of the class to her right. Then behind them were two meek Hufflepuffs and finally one Slytherin.

Hermione's eyes narrowed on the Slytherin who was leaned over a book and looked awfully familiar. She squinted her eyes in his direction, trying to put a face to the form with the curly black hair.

Suddenly his head snapped up and shocking grey eyes zoned into focus with her narrowed browns.

It was only when he raised his brow that Hermione realized how ridiculous she looked, leaning over her table to stare him down.

She quickly leaned back into her seat and broke eye contact with him, swiveling back around to the front of the class.

She waited patiently for five minutes before peeking, and there he was with his nose back in his book.

She bit her lip and tugged out one of her own, uncomfortable with the fact that Blaise Zabini, and she was pretty sure that that was his name, was in one of her classes this year.

She had always prided herself in knowing every student in Hogwarts, so why was it that all she knew about this one was that he was Italian and he was Slytherin?

And she was not even sure of the first one.

* * *

**Before Ancient Runes Class…**

Blaise Zabini sauntered up to his Ancient Runes class 15 minutes before the bell rang with Draco trailing behind him in a similar fashion.

"What time did you wake up today?" Draco asked as he flicked his head to get his bangs away from his view.

Blaise had been waiting in the common room for Draco that morning, so he had assumed that Blaise had gone ahead for class and had come back to make sure that he wouldn't skip two periods today.

Blaise snorted in amusement as he took a long drag of the muggle cigarette that he held naturally between his thumb and index finger,

"Five minutes ago, mate."

Draco stared incredulously at Blaise because if he had only woken up five minutes ago then that meant that he hadn't gone to his first class.

"You never skip class! You know we both skipped Herbology to sleep in, right?"

Blaise just smirked and leaned against the cool stone outside his next class. He dismissed his best friend's comment with a wave of his hand,

"I was tired."

That was true, Blaise had to stay up half the night with Draco because he insisted on getting drunk and moaning about how he would've made a better Head Boy then Terry Boot.

Honestly, when Headmistress McGonagall had announced him as Head Boy everyone in Slytherin had been in shock. He just didn't seem like a likely candidate for the position. He was too meek.

Blaise and Draco had only managed to haul themselves to bed around four and Blaise had needed the sleep.

Gratefully when he woke up in the morning, some saint had left his schedule for him on this bedside table, and true to Draco's words, for the first time he had skipped class.

Draco looked too pleased at Blaise's 'un-Blaise-like' actions, and to his utter horror Draco plastered a 'Hufflepuffish' expression on his face and said,

"My little Blaisy-Boy is letting his Slytherin side out! Aw…"

Then he proceeded to pinch Blaise's practically non-existent cheeks.

Blaise swatted his friend's hand away from his face in horror, and then punched him in the gut causing Draco to double over as he gasped for a breath.

"Sensitive."Draco growled in between the wheezing noises.

If anyone looked at either of the aristocratic boys that were lounging around the hallway, they would've never have guessed that one of them had just woken five minutes ago and tripped his way here.

Blaise's hair framed his face with thick black curls that bounced on the brim of his collar, and obscured his eyes from time to time.

He was well-built thanks to his position as keeper on the Slytherin team, and though he had never welcomed it, all the girls in Slytherin were well aware of the body that he kept hidden under his robes. His robes were of the finest quality and were as per usual pressed to perfection.

All in all, Blaise was no eyesore in the least.

Blaise slouched on the wall with his best mate of nine years, who had woken up half-an-hour earlier than him to get his image set.

Now that he thought of it, how had Draco not realized he was still asleep while he conducted his morning routine?

"I still cannot believe you take bloody Ancient Runes!" Draco suddenly exclaimed as he realized which classroom they were outside of.

Turning towards his friend Draco said, "Merlin knows you hate it!"

Blaise just shook his head, Draco had pondered this since third year, and had asked him this very question last year as well,

"I love the subject, Malfoy. We've discussed this."

Draco turned to smirk at his friend, "Ah but I think you were lying last time and this time as well-"

"Really?" Blaise drawled, utterly bored with his mate's tirade.

"Yes, bloody REALLY! For one thing, _no one,_ 'loves' Ancient Runes, well except for Granger but she's just odd. And second thing is that my sources –"

Now Blaise couldn't help but laugh,

"Sources? Is that our new name for the whores that follow you around?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at Blaise, "Can't you let me finish one sentence? Just because you're satisfied with saying three words a day does not mean that I am."

Blaise made the gesture of waving an imaginary wand over area of his lips.

Satisfied, Draco continued,

"My _sources _tell me that a certain girl that you 'like' was in this class last year and this year as well. "

Draco paused to garner a reaction from Blaise, but as usual Mr. Zabini was a man of few words and even fewer emotions.

"Right," Draco prompted not bothering to wait, "So here is my theory, you 'love' it because you get to sit in the same class as Hannah Abbot for a whole ninety minutes and my sources tell me that this is your only class with her because it's the only advance class she takes because she's so stupid!"

Blaise just scowled at Draco and flicked the butt of his cigarette at Draco causing him to fly back and dust off his robes.

Blaise shook his head at his friend's affronted expression, smiling slightly.

He had told the pompous blonde last year about a crush he had on Hannah Abbot when Draco started pestering him about why he still took Care of Magical Creatures when the rest of Slytherin had dropped it. He had claimed that it was because of her that he was taking the class.

After that stupid move on his part, Draco made it a point to badger him about her since that day because Blaise refused to go out with her. He had told Draco that he was 'unsure' if she would say yes.

Draco's face suddenly lit up, causing Blaise to narrow his eyes in suspicion.

"Where will you sit in class?" he asked innocently.

"Back of the room." Blaise replied and then he stressed, "as _usual."_

"Maybe," Draco chortled, "You could sit behind her and let the smell of her shampoo intoxicate you!"

Blaise rolled his eyes, understanding where this conversation would go.

"Or sit an in front of her, and hope her hand touches you while she's raising it for attention in class, or it could be for _your_ attention if you'd ask her out."

He lunged at him, but Draco dogged his grasp with ease.

"Or, the best option, sit under her desk…"

"MALFOY!"

"…and appreciate the view of her sexy white cotton undies!"

Blaise did a complicated stepping maneuver and got Draco into a head lock just as the bell rang.

"Bloody Hell!" Blaise yelled shoving his friend away.

Draco face was red from laughing and his hair was slightly disheveled.

"I'll stop this if you..."

Blaise cut him off, "just asked her out, I know Draco."

Draco pretended to ponder this as the halls filled up with students, "I would stop if you shagged her brains out too, you know. I'm not picky."

Blaise grinned and shook his head, "Get to class, mate. And get that grin off your face, you don't want people knowing that you can actually smile."

Draco and Blaise shook hands and were about to part when they both caught a glance of a certain couple in the hall.

"Is that..." Draco trailed off and Blaise just nodded, a nasty scowl setting on his face.

The Head Boy and Head Girl were strolling down the hallway, all full of laughs and giggles.

"Doesn't Boot seem a little bit too close to Granger?" Draco murmured as his eyes discerned the practically non-existent gap between them.

Blaise didn't comment, but rather just stared at them unable to comprehend why she was with him and not with the bumbling idiots that usually flanked her.

They didn't know how long they just stood there, staring, until somebody said,

"What are you two staring at?"

Both Draco and Blaise swiveled around to see Daphne Greengrass, a fellow Slytherin, standing there, lined up to go into her regular transfiguration class.

Daphne then looked over their shoulders, and her eyes narrowed as she saw the same thing that they had.

"Right," she muttered, understanding what had left the two Slytherins gaping in the hallway.

Draco looked over and shook his head again, "I'm in shock."

Daphne just shrugged and started to make her way into class,

"You shouldn't be." She called out, "If you had bothered to wake up this morning then you would've seen that he went up to her in breakfast to escort her to her first class as well. He was practically tripping over her."

Daphne smiled when she saw Draco's pale eyebrows shoot up into his hair, but was not surprised when Zabini didn't react.

In the seven years that she had known him, he hadn't once shown any emotion or expression to gossip, stories, or just plain facts.

He was like the fly of Slytherin, nobody noticed him but he was always there.

The bell rang again, and Draco bid Blaise a quick goodbye and sauntered to his next class, muttering on about how things were always crazy when it came to Granger.

Blaise just shook his head amused at Draco's gossiping antics. When he turned to enter Ancient Runes he was upset to find that the Granger and Boot were crowding the door way.

He could tell the Boot was interested in Granger with the way that he kept looking at her, but she, to his amusement, treated him the same way that she did with Potter, Longbottom, or Weasley.

Then Boot started to lean in to touch her , and at that point Blaise just swooped in and forced his way between them to get into class.

He smirked when he heard Boot cursing behind him because he spoiled his moment, and for the first time that day Blaise felt the need to laugh.

"Mr. Zabini, come take this please." Professor Farfel called causing the laugh to die on his lips.

Blaise turned to the professor and took the paper that he gave him. Looking down he saw that it was an exam of some sort.

Not waiting for an explanation, he trekked his way to a comfortable seat in the back. Just as he settled down, Granger walked into the room and she didn't seem upset at all for his 'interruption'.

She too got the test and she sat down all the way in the front a good eight to ten seats in front of him. The rest of the class was just as spaced out. He glanced over the room and his eye caught Abbott's and she blushed and giggled like she always did and he ignored it like usual.

He spent the rest of the class completely focused on his exam and then when that was done he pulled out a book on muggle computers that he had bought over the summer.

That was when he felt it. A stare.

Being the 'wallpaper' for the last six years had made his senses keen enough that he could feel someone's eyes glancing over him. Blaise quickly looked up and was surprised, and slightly pleased, to see Granger leaning over her desk to evaluate him.

Then like a punch in the gut he recognized the shrewdness in her glance.

She didn't know who he was.

" Of course she doesn't," Blaise muttered himself.

He was acting idiotic. He's the one who made himself invisible to everyone and now he was getting upset because Hermione didn't recognize him. But, it still hurt because he had conversed with her that one time in the summer. And, it seemed that she still didn't know him. How upsetting.

The rest of the class trickled slowly, and once the bell rang Blaise lagged behind waiting for everyone to leave before dragging himself up and ambling towards Advanced Potions where Draco was waiting for him.

"Hey mate!" Draco exclaimed as he tried to balance himself on two legs of his chair.

He dropped down when Blaise slipped into the seat next to him.

"How was Barf-imacy?" Draco asked, "Did anything 'interesting' happen?"

Draco sent him an over exaggerated wink coupled with an elbow nudge, as he waited to hear any gossip over him and Hannah Abbott.

Blaise found his gaze trailing over to Granger who was also in this class, and once again all the way in the front.

Staring straight at her, he answered,

"Nothing that I would possibly waste my time on."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Please tell me what you think! This is my first Blaise/Hermione story and I usually write Dramiones or Charlie/Hermione fan fictions so hopefully I get Blaise's character right.

* * *

**So just a question to my readers:**

_**What personality should Blaise have?**_

_**A. He should be shy and innocent.**_

_**B. He should be quiet but dominating.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Hermione ran towards the school library, eager to get started on work before the weekend snuck up on her.

This first week of school had turned out to be extremely hectic. Hermione found herself running around in circles with all the preparation work that came with the Head job. She had organized prefect meeting and was called to McGonagall on several occasions to learn new duties that had be thrust upon her.

Also to her surprise the professors were really being tough this year on the students which meant that hoards of students had come to her, begging for her to begin with tutoring again.

Her classes were all Advanced so she had quite a bit of work in every single class except for Ancient Runes, surprisingly. After Professor Farfel had given them the horrible aptitude exam on the first day he had given them a break for the rest of week, informing them that he was preparing a semester long assignment for them to work on and giving them this week as a present so they wouldn't hate him when the assignment came around.

Hermione definitely was not going to complain. She had used that time to work on all her assignments that just seemed to be piling on. In fact that class would have been perfect if it wasn't for a certain someone's presence.

Her steps faltered as her thoughts returned to the quiet Slytherin that had been a fixture in her mind for some time.

Hermione had been naturally curious about him since she first saw him at the Apothecary over the summer. Then to see him in her Ancient Runes class this year had thrown her off. She always prided herself on knowing everyone in the school, but this Slytherin had slipped under her radar somehow.

Then to her horror she noticed that he was present in her Advanced Potions class, Advanced Transfiguration class, and Advanced Astronomy class.

How many of her classes had he been in before this year? Hermione stopped walking completely and let her thoughts manifest. She knew that it wasn't possible for him to suddenly just pop up in her classes unless he was new here.

Hermione reached the library and quickly slipped into the silent place, relishing in the heavy smell of books.

"So he's new?" she murmured to herself, trying to understand the enigma of Blaise Zabini, if that was even his name.

She weaved around all the available desks in the center of the library, her feet carrying her past the Potions and Muggle Studies shelves till she turned into the aisle for history books. Strolling past those shelves, completely lost in thought, she slowly made her way to the secluded table that stood at the end of the aisle.

"Hermione!" someone called out, but Hermione didn't register the summoning because her complete focus was still with the elusive boy.

She shook her head in attempt to push Blaise Zabini out of her head. She would be fooling herself if she believed he was new. Hermione recognized his face that day in the Apothecary and that meant something to her.

"Hermione." Harry repeated again and this time Hermione replied to it.

She looked up and saw Harry waving her over to her table. They were getting together to study for the huge review exam in Transfiguration which was one of the few classes that they had together.

"Hey Harry, sorry I'm late." Hermione whispered as she shuffled over to the table.

Harry immediately pulled his stuff closer to him so that she would get more space to place her books. It was a well known fact to anyone who studied with Hermione that she needed a lot of space at her disposal to be able to work comfortably. She hated to be crammed when studying, and that reflected in her table of choice.

Hermione had claimed the best spot in the library. It was a secret alcove in the history section that had a sturdy table and a breathtaking view of the expanse of the Hogwarts grounds. Her favorite part was that the window had an enormous sill that made an exceptionally comfy spot to snooze in if she needed a break from studying.

"It's alright Hermione! At least you made it." Harry said optimistically. "By the way why did you look so distracted when you walked in?"

Hermione felt her skin go seven shades redder,

"I have been ignoring you haven't I?" Hermione admitted with a wince, and pointedly avoided his second question, not willing to explain her obsession with the Slytherin just yet.

Harry just chuckled and looked at her over the rim of his glasses saying, "its okay Fred and George told me you haven't replied to their letter which means you ignoring them too. So I'm cool with it."

Hermione hissed in horror as she realized that she had in fact forgotten to reply to both the twin's letter and the one that she had received from Stan on the second day of school.

"Ugh!" she moaned, "everything is piling up, Harry."

Harry leaned over the table and gripped her hand with his.

"If you want I'll sent the twins a letter on your behalf." He offered.

The offer extracted an unexpected laugh for her as she shook her head vigorously in refusal. The last time she had let Harry write one of her letters she got a return one from Charlie apologizing about the fact that he 'didn't feel the same way'. She was not going to go through that again.

Still Harry's words had loosened her up and she sent a quick smile his way as she pulled in a long breath before tossing open the standard issue Advanced Transfiguration textbook.

"Shall we get started before I go into another 'woo-is-me' break down?"

Harry smiled at her and did a dramatic bow.

"Teach me all you know oh-genius-one!"

Hermione smacked his forearm and with a roll of her eyes she did exactly that.

* * *

"I'm going to have nightmares about transfigured pigs, I just know it!"

Hermione chuckled and nodded her head in agreement to Harry's words. They had spent the entire evening, and skipped dinner to study for the review exam. In fact Hermione would still be studying had the warning bell for curfew not chimed 10 minutes ago.

"At least you'll be able to answer that question on the test, Harry." She muttered and what was supposed to be an optimistic tone, but rather came out garbled because she was too tired to actually form the words.

"Yeah yeah, do you want me to walk you to your dorm?"

Both of them were dead on their feet, so Hermione shook her head in disagreement well aware that Harry would probably pass out on the way there anyway.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they shuffled their way up the third floor staircase, pausing at the corner where they would go their separate ways.

"Night Harry." Hermione mumbled as she gave him a quick hug and peck on the cheek.

Once she got hers in return, Hermione made to turn away, expecting their rendezvous to end. But Harry, with surprising agility, quickly grabbed her arm and spun her to face him.

"Bloody Hell, I just remembered!"

"Remembered what?" Hermione asked.

"I want a full explanation for why you walked into the library today with that troubled look on your face and why you've been distracted these past few days."

"Harry," Hermione sighed, irate at his uncanny ability to read her, "I wasn't troubled…"

She winced at the raised eyebrow that she received.

"I…its really weird, and you should trust me when I say that it's no big deal, really." She asserted.

"No Hermione, if you're even spending a second thinking about it then it's a big deal to me, so I think you better tell me."

"..or I could come up with a bloody brilliant lie." Hermione supplied with an impish smile.

Harry mock glared at her and crossed his arms as he stared her down.

Hermione sighed, realizing that Harry really wasn't going to leave this.

"Right now Hermione." Harry demanded.

"Yeah yeah, come on we might as well do this in my room."

Both of them turned and started to make their way to her dorm when a sharp click of heels alerted them to the presence of the Headmistress.

She turned the corner just as they reached and both Harry and Hermione were amused at her look of shock.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger what are you two doing out here? It's almost curfew." She admonished.

Hermione pointed to the direction of her Head dorm,

"I was on my way to my room right now Headmistress."

The Headmistress pursed her lips and sent a definite glare their way as she pointedly stared at Harry's close proximity to the Head Girl.

"And would either of you care to explain why you, Mr. Potter, are in this corridor when I distinctly remember that the Gryffindor Common rooms are in the opposite direction?"

Hermione flushed in response to what the Headmistress was implying.

"I was just walking her to her dorm, Prof—Headmistress."

Hermione looked up at Harry and saw that he too had a soft blush staining his cheeks.

"I am more than certain that Miss Granger here is capable of doing this herself. Aren't you?" suddenly addressing Hermione.

Both Harry and Hermione loved McGonagall but this lady had a way making them feel like they were eleven again and that they were once again caught fighting a troll in the girl's bathroom.

"Yes ma'am." Hermione mumbled meekly.

Headmistress McGonagall stepped aside silently excusing her.

Hermione sent a tight smile to Harry, secretly grateful that she wouldn't have to talk to Harry tonight.

Harry responded with an obvious glare that made it clear to Hermione that she wasn't going to escape their discussion.

As she ambled towards her dorm she heard McGonagall chastising Harry on inappropriate times to converse with young women and she couldn't help but feel satisfaction at the uncomfortable topic.

_"Hopefully she addresses the topic of copulation"_, Hermione thought evilly.

* * *

Hermione walked to Ancient Runes a soft smile dancing on her face as she listened to Terry's recollection of a rollercoaster event that occurred over the summer.

She had successfully avoided Harry this morning by eating breakfast in her rooms and then going straight to Advanced Charms.

She knew it was rude of her to ignore him, especially after he just pointed out how she had been doing it this past week , but Hermione wanted to keep Blaise to herself. She really didn't want anyone else to know about the infatuation, no , _interest_ that had towards him and was planning on avoiding Harry to keep it that way. Hermione zoned back into her conversation with Terry at the wrong point.

"…so anyway my friend, George, threw up on the _Topsy Turvy_ ride and, you should have seen it Hermione, the spew flew up and landed right back on him. It was disgusting! And get this, he smelled like parmesan cheese..."

"Ugh, Terry! Why are you telling me this?" Hermione asked as she laughed at the misery that Terry's friend went through.

Terry laughed as well, "It was bloody hilarious, but damn Hermione, that smell!"

Hermione shook her head and waved Terry away as she stepped into the class,

"Disgusting!" she muttered under her breath. Terry was a great friend but his sense of humor was horrible.

She slipped into her seat, still chuckling to herself. and sat when Professor Farfel ambled into the room and quickly levitated thick packets of parchment onto everyone's desks.

Looking down she read the title of the assignment,

"_Creating your own Rune"_

Hermione couldn't stop the elated grin blooming across her lips. She had waited for years to do something and like this and couldn't wait to start even if it meant more work. Apparently class reacted in two starkly different ways. There were a few that were grinning like her, but others didn't seem to feel the same way because she heard a few groans escaped from her fellow classmates. Curious, Hermione swiveled in her seat to see which group Zabini was in. Her eyes focused on him and she was shocked to see that he didn't have any expression at all. He was just lazily flipping through the papers with an unemotional mask on his face. She frowned and turned back around in her seat, oddly disappointed that he wasn't as psyched about this as she was.

"Alright class! So I know I promised you a full week break before our big assignment ,"

He was interrupted by a chorus of "Yeahs"

"_But_ I'm obviously cutting it short." Farfel said in a snipped tone, "As I'm sure everyone has already deduced, being the geniuses that you are, our long project for this class, which will count as your grade for the entire trimester and your midterm, is creating a new rune."

Hermione gasped along with the rest of her classmates. No teacher had every counted an assignment so heavily.

Farfel adjusted his heavy black glasses before resuming, "I know that a lot of you are now every nervous but I assure you that it was not be very hard if you follow the steps that I have put in that packet for you properly. As you will see as you browse through the packet, I have provided you with the history for the new rune that I want you to create and the mistakes that have already been made in attempts to make it. You will use this information as a basis to your research. So far does anyone have any questions?"

Hermione immediately shot up her hand,

"What if it we are unable to create the rune even if we follow all the instructions? Do we fail," she paused as fear clasped her throat, "everything_?_"

"Good question Miss Granger, and no. To be honest I am not expecting many of you to succeed in creating a new rune. I understand that it is a very difficult task. But I will analyze the steps and set up that you had to create it and grade you on the actions that you thought would have given you that new rune. Understood?"

Hermione nodded, relieved that she wouldn't fail if all her work didn't produce the rune.

"Now, I'm hoping that this will make this project even easier for you, and I'm expecting a lot of gifts for what I'm about to do. You all are allowed to work in pairs…"

Quite a few people in the class cheered at his words.

"…in pairs that I setup according to the results from the aptitude test that everyone took."

It took the class a second to process his words, and then the class attacked the poor man again. Hannah Abbot was the loudest and she cried out, "So all the smart people are paired together, while the stupid ones are left to strangle behind?"

A few people nodded in agreement causing the professor to scowl.

"The better grade you got on the test the harder your rune will be. Would you like it to be different? Shall I give everyone the tough runes?"

Hermione understood Professor Farfel's reasoning. He always wanted to push his students and he was extremely fair in that he understood that they each had different limits to their capabilities and respected that.

The class became silent again.

"Now I'm going to list the partners. Please pay attention to your name. If you are not pleased with your partner I suggest you find a way to split the work so that you will have limited contact with them, but I hope there will be no such case, am I right?"

Everyone nodded and leaned forward in their seats, eager to hear who their second half would be for the next three months.

Hermione dared another quick glance over her shoulder and was upset to see that Zabini wasn't showing any eagerness to the event at all. He was still perusing the packet without a care in the world.

_"Why am I so upset by this?" _she thought to herself.

Hermione sighed and looked back at the professor. She kept hoping that Zabini, who was in so many of her classes, would have something, anything, in common with her. After all he seemed extremely intelligent because of his class schedule, but clearly they were nothing alike. Maybe he was just in most of her Advanced classes because of his father's big pockets?

"Now I'm going to begin with the lowest scores and go up…"

Hermione had Zabini in her Ancient Runes, Potions, Transfiguration, and History of Magic classes. To have him in so many of her advanced classes made her upset that she knew so little about him and his background. She also knew that he had Astrology, DADA, Charms, and Herbology without her.

Farfel continued to rattle off names and around her people were pairing up with other.

"The two highest scores in the class varied by two points," Farfel called out, and Hermione snapped out of her musings to listen.

Surprisingly the others weren't bothered so the professor was having a hard time speaking over the hum of the other conversations and he finally just made a wild gesture with his arm that swept Hermione and some in the back into his motion.

"You two, pair up."

Hermione didn't have to turn around to know that it was Blaise that he was referring to. The entire row behind her was empty until his seat.

She sighed, it was clear now that Blaise's classes didn't have anything to do with his daddy's pockets after all.

With that idea banished, Hermione looked over her shoulder to see if Blaise was going to be a gentleman and come to her, but he was still reading the bloody packet, acting as if he hadn't heard a word that the professor had said.

"Bloody git." She murmured under her breath as she gathered her stuff. She was starting to wish that she had never seen Zabini in potions store.

She slowly made her way to the back, as she listened with half an ear to the other enthusiastic groups going over their stuff. Why couldn't she have been with some over-eager Ravenclaw?

Her trip to his desk at the far end of the room was a short one, and thus she arrived far sooner then she would've liked.

Standing before his desk, Hermione waited to get a greeting from him. But to her horror, he didn't even raise his head to acknowledge her. She would have assumed that he wasn't aware of her presence had she not noted that his eyes were not darting across the page, but situated in one steady spot.

He was ignoring her!

She decided to be nice so she said, "Hi, I'm your partner. Are you ready to work?"

Ignoring. Again. And he still seemed to be reading the word 'staining'.

She scowled and decided to just sit without an invitation but his bag was propped the only seat next to him.

Hermione's temper flared up, "Do you mind, Zabini?"

The pompous git finally looked up and she taught she saw a hint of surprise in his eyes. But as quickly as she saw it, it disappeared.

"Hmm?" he murmured making some noncommittal sound as his eyes returned to the page.

"Please, move your stuff Blaise so I can sit down."

"No." was his curt reply.

She gaped at him and dropped her entire packet on his desk, the sound echoing slightly.

"Move it right now!" she found herself nearly shouting.

This was not good. When she was upset, she yelled, when she yelled she tensed up, and once she tensed up the torn muscles in her thigh would start to pulse and the end result was pain.

So she quickly tried to take deep calming breaths and it was working till he said in that slight Italian rumble,

"You move. You're blocking my light."

Hermione's brows rose into her hairline as she stared at him incredulously and she was quick to rebut him with logic.

"I'm standing in front of you!" she hissed so as to not make a scene, "And the window is to our right. How could I be possibly blocking it?"

Blaise didn't reply but rather tapped one of the parchments causing it to duplicate and he meticulously began writing on it, completing ignoring her.

"We're partners Zabini, now let me sit down."

"No." he replied curtly. His tone was so harsh that Hermione felt a stab of shock in her chest.

Hermione opened and closed her mouth like a fish as she tried to find words to battle his uncouth comments. What was his problem? He hadn't been like this at the Apothecary at all.

"Here," he said cutting off her musing.

She looked down at the paper that he shoved into her hand. It was a copy of the list of assignments for this project and random ones were circled on the list. Professor Farfel had set it up so that there were mini project s in the big one and Zabini had apparently examined the list well because he equally distributed them between the two of them. Blaise had also neatly written on the top corner,

"_Do these assignments and give it to me. We will work together on the rune at the very when absolutely necessary._

_-Blaise Zabini"_

"Are you serious?" Hermione cried, "I'm standing right in front of you. Couldn't you have told me all of this to my face?"

Blaise's face contorted into a mask of disgust as if the very idea of saying so much to her caused him pain.

Hermione felt her stomach drop. Here she was trying to be nice to him and he was treating her even worse than Malfoy. At least Malfoy conversed with her.

"This is preposterous Zabini. Can you stop being a bloody narcissistic death eater loving pureblood for one bloody sec-"

"Leave Granger." He suddenly hissed. Hermione gulped as she watched his grey eyes suddenly go back with anger and felt fear clutch her throat as his entire body coiled tightly as if to prepare to pounce on her.

"Fine." Hermione said curtly. She no longer felt safe arguing with him, and contrary to popular belief she wasn't a masochist. This boy was in Slytherin for a reason.

As she turned away she couldn't help but add,

"You didn't have to write out your name you know. I know who you are, you git."

Once she reached to her seat she looked around and saw that everyone else was sitting in pairs as they discussed their project. She bit her lip to keep herself from crying which was a bad tendency that she had when she was upset.

She chanced a look at Professor Farfel and was surprised to see him staring right at her. He beckoned her to his desk, and Hermione hesitantly abided.

"I'm assuming you decided to work separately?" he asked as he looked in the direction of her partner.

Hermione refused to glance his way but she could deduce from her professor's upset expression that he was once again hiding behind the packet.

"Yes sir, we split the work and we're going to convene the information in the end."

He shook his head, "That option had been suggested for the easier runes. You two got my toughest one and I was hoping that both of you could put your prejudices aside in this matter."

"I had hoped so too professor, but clearly his vote outweighed mine." Hermione said curtly having no problem putting the blame on Zabini.

Surprisingly Professor Farfel chuckled, "I assure you that this split will not last, Miss Granger. I've know boys like him quite well. He's going to get stuck on a question soon, and when he does I expect that you'll be the person that he comes to."

Hermione couldn't help but snort, "He better come crawling on his knees."

Farfel sent her a quick grin and then sent her a 'shooing' gesture.

"Get started on the work, Miss Granger. You are going to need all the time you can get."

* * *

Blaise stalked down to the dungeons, his body still pulsating with anger. He had never appreciated being associated to the type of purebloods that hung around the school. Despite being best friends with Draco Malfoy Blaise had been brought up to respect other bloods and had no prejudice against them. In fact he was so against it that Draco wouldn't dare insult anyone's blood when he was around.

So how dare that Granger girl, who apparently did know his name, insinuate that he was exactly like them when he apparently contested that by standing up for her at Slugg and Jiggs.

It made no sense to him!

Blaise flew into the potions classroom and quickly made his way to his seat, not daring to see if Hermione was here yet. He wasn't sure if he had the self control to keep himself from pouncing on her and pummeling the girl. She better take an extremely long time to walk from Ancient Runes to this class.

"Bloody hell, Blaise. What's with the emotional expression?" Draco asked with a smirk, joking about his anger.

Blaise held a tight grip on his chair and pulled it back with such force that it flew into the table behind it and cracked the wood.

"Whoa!" Draco muttered his joking manner thrown away as he whipped out his wand and fixed it. Blaise didn't bother to see the faces of those around him as he fell into his seat and sent a menacing scowl in the direction of his friend.

"What did I do?" Draco asked in a fearful tone.

Blaise knew that he was quite a sight when he was upset, and he shouldn't be taking out on his friend.

"Blaise, mate, what happened?"

"Nothing." He snapped his usually grey eyes clouded with a deep shade of black that caused Draco to actually shudder.

Draco winced and turned away from him to pull out something from his pocket, "Here"

Blaise looked down at the flask that Draco had slipped into his bruised palms.

He raised his eyebrows in Draco's direction as he shot him a look of incredulity.

"Hey! Either drink the alcohol or break a few more chairs."

Blaise quickly uncorked the flask and took a deep sip from its contents, not bothering to survey the audience that would watching him doing this.

The fire whiskey burned a path down his throat, and as it settled in his stomach he couldn't help but calm down.

"You put calming draught in your whiskey?" Blaise questioned, well aware that alcohol never had that kind of reaction to him.

Draco chuckled and nodded his head.

They both lapsed into a silence and Blaise finally looked around and noted that everyone but Snape seemed to be already seated in the dank dungeon. He looked over to the front of the room and he saw that Hermione had reached class.

Had she seen him crack the chair? Had she seen him take relieve in the inconspicuous bottle of alcohol?

It shouldn't matter if she did but yet, he felt conscious about his actions.

His gaze only tore away from her lone figure when Snape had waltzed into the dungeon and immediately went on a tirade about the previous homework.

"So, why were you so upset?" Draco asked quietly.

Blaise hesitated, for some reason he wanted to keep this to himself, but in the end he whispered back to the blonde,

"Someone gave me the whole pureblood crap thing."

Draco's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, "You? Who would bloody say that to you?"

Blaise just shrugged his lean muscled shoulders.

"Was it Abbot?" he suddenly asked.

"NO!" Blaise cried and was rewarded with a glare from Snape.

He paused till the professor's attention was on some poor Hufflepuff before he said,

"Of course not. Why would you say that?"

Draco looked thoughtfully at him before replying, "It's just that it's not the first time someone's said stuff like that to you. I mean, you do hang out with me, people are going to assume negatively. But it is the first time that you've really gotten upset over it. So I assumed it came from someone whose opinion really mattered, you know."

Blaise froze at his friend's explanation. It did make sense. Hermione Granger had always been someone who Blaise had respected. She was just so strong even when all the odds were against her, and she reached so far in a world that wasn't ready to accept her. He had always found her persistence admirable, and that's why he had been so friendly with her in the Apothecary.

But that had been the first time that he had directly spoken to her, and in the times after that he had come to realize that perhaps she wasn't that great. After all she didn't even know who he was and that was surprising since in their fifth year they had all eight classes together.

But yet her opinion still mattered, enough that he hadn't read another word of Ancient Runes after their argument, and he had demolished a chair.

Yet, he couldn't forget that she did in fact remember his name, and she had tried to be nice in the beginning. So, how should he act around her?

Blaise found his eyes involuntarily seeking her out across the room. He stared at the back of her bushy head for a god five minutes trying to sort out his conflicting thoughts.

Suddenly she turned around, and their eyes met. Grey to Brown.

They stared at each other for Merlin knows how long before Blaise made up his mind and turned his dead stare into a glare. The response was instant in hers as well. Her chocolate gaze flared up and with a tilt of her chin she turned back around.

There, he thought, problem solved.

She hated him, and he had no feelings for her.

* * *

**A/N: **I am so very sorry for the delay. I have no excuse except pure disinterest on my part and I sincerely apologize for it! Now I hope that my fans come back to this story after such a long wait. For those of you that have lost interest in it I completely understand and thank you for reading it in the first place. And for those fans that are going to stick with me till the end, I love you guys, and thank you for the support.

**Poll Time:**

**The Runes assignment will be tough, who should give in and go to the other for help first?**

**A. Hermione should struggle and force Blaise to work with her.**

**B. Blaise should go begging to Hermione for help. And SOON !**

* * *

One more thing... I really need a beta! It takes me ages to review my stories and their still so many flaws. Please email me at qvq101 gmail . com [without the spaces] if you are interested. thank you :D


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